Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



NTED STATES JAMES PURDEY, 0F LONDON, ENGLAND.

EMPRGVEMENT iN BRECH-LOADING FlREsARMS.

Specification forming part ot' Letters Patent No. 220,657, dated October 14, 1879; application filed September 24, 1578; patented in England, January 30, 1578.

To all/whom fit may concern:

Be it known that l, JAMES PURDEY, of OX- ford Street, London, in the county of Middlesex, England, gunmaker, have invented certain Improvements in Breech-Loading Fire- Arms, of which the following is a speeication.

The object of this invention is to give. addi tional security to the locking of the breech in break-down guns by providing a d ouble locking mechanism which is operated by a lever, adapted to vibrate on its axis for opera-ting a spindle earryin g a swinging arm or latch, which moves laterally to engage with the upper catch and is accommodated tothe limited space of tlile upper portion ot' the breech-piece or breako lnthe accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section ot' the breech part of a break-down breech-loading gun, showing the breechacticn, in which the fastening-bolt I) is worked by a lever, a, under the triggerguard, and is called the under snap or the bottom lever action. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of tli-.csame looking at the-face of the iixcd breech block erection of the arm.

The bolt b takes hold of two hooked blocks,

c c, forged on the under side of the barrels, and

therefore holds them down in place, as is well known 1n reference to this class of gun. In

combination with this sliding locking-bolt b there is a vertical spindle, d, Fig.'1, and shown by dots in Fig. 2. This spindle is necessarily placed at a slight inclination, in order to give room for the sliding bolt, and is provided with a horizontal arm, d1, which takes into a notch ont in the sliding bolt, as will be best seen by reference to the detached views, Figs. 3, 4, and 5, of these parts, Fig. being a plan view of the top side of lthe bolt b and vertical spindle d. Fig. el is'a side elevation of the same, and

Fig. 5 is a view ot' the under side of the bolt and spindle, showing the horizontal arm d1 of the spindle d in the notch 'cut in the bolt b for the purpose. t

Atthe upper end of the pin or spindle d is another arm orbolt, d2, which projects through an opening cut in the face of the fixed breech e ot the arm. In coimectiolrwith this opening there is a concave notch, f, Figs. l and 2, cnt in the face of the breech to receive a curved block, g, forged on the end of the barrels.

The curved notch or recess f, it will be observed, is formed entirely within the front face of the breech-piece, thus avoiding the breaking of the surface of the breech-piece by the ordinary top notch` which is commonly formed in fthe breech-piece ot' a gun ot' this class for the reception of a tongue projecting from the barrels. A*

The operation of the various parts -is as Ytollows: Upon depressing the lever a, the short arm e', Fig. l, ot' this lever will draw bach the bolt b and release the notched blocks con the under side of the barrels. At the saine time the bolt b,'by its backward motion,`will act on the arm d1 of the vertical spindle d, Fig. 5, and will cause the saine to turn on its axis, and thereby remove the uppervbolt, d2, of the spindle d from above the block g on the rear end of the barrels. The latter will then befree to rise up `into the position `shown by dots in Fig. 1 readyfor reloading. HNVheu this operation has been performed the barrels may be bron ght up again into the horizontal position, and there securely locked by the lever a. being brought bach to its normal position.

It will be seen that by thisfarrangementand construction of parts an additional locking of the barrels is provided, and that that is donc without cuttingV out the top part of the fixed breech piece or action. v

Figs. 6 land 7 are sectional and plan views of a gun, showin g a method of effecting the same object by means of a top lever action, In this instance the top lever,c*, is secured on the squared upper endet' the vertical spindle d,

which, at its lower end, carries a levcr-arm, d1, which works in a notch or recess in the locking-bolt b, as iu the former instance. At the upper end ot' the spindle d is' that additional bolt or catch d2,- butin this case the additional. fastening or catch d2 is notattached to the vertical spindle d, but is mounted on a separate pin or stud, and has a tail which takes into a notch cut in the end ot the actuating-top lever, at.

The forward end of the bolt d2 works in ap opening made in .the face of the action, as in the other case. When the top lever, at, is pushed on one side` as shown by dots in Fig. 7, the] catch-piece lis also pushed on one side, and thereby releases the block y at the rear end of v the ba rrels,

and thereby allows -the dat-teino be lifted from their seat, as. ndieateibythe dotted lines in Fig. 1. As the toplevenalif-r mounted on the upper end of theverticalspm-- dle d,tl1e latter is made to turn on its vertical axis Whenever the lever a* is moved, and by so doing will force back the lo'oking-bolt'bn'nd release the hooked lumps on the under side of the barrel, as iu The former instance.n

Having 'now'set fozu the same into affect, I Wish it to be understood that I claim- V The ooml nation, with the barrels having V.operated by said lever,

the nature of my inf!l ventlon and explained the manner of carrying hook or hooks, c, and lump g, of the lever a, arran ged to vibrate in the direct-ion ot' the length of the gun, the longitudinally-sliding bolt b,

and lLhe spindle d, havlug arm d1, engaging loosely with said bolt and carrying the swinging arm d2, adapted to en gage said lump g, subsmntiallyas described.

London, the 28th day of June, 1878.

4 JAMES PURDEY. Witnesses:

.JAMEs PURDEY, Jr., f ATHOL S. PURDEY, Y

Y 314g Oxford Street, London., lV. 

